old_world_gamingfandomcom-20200213-history
Camp Follower
"You must get awfully cold and lonely on the march. I can help with both." Basic (Core) In the Empire, armies are always on the move. Forces range from local militia units scouring the forest for bandits to the full armed might of the Emperor taking the field against greenskins or the forces of Chaos. No army travels alone. A caravan of Camp Followers always trails behind. They include petty traders looking to make extra money, war widows trying to make a wage cooking or sewing, and corpse looters hoping to scavenge battlefields. While scorned by the Noble leaders of many armies, Camp Followers provide key support for troops in the field. Main Profile Secondary Profile Skills: Animal Care or Drive, Charm or Evaluate, Gossip, Haggle, Perception, Search, Any one of: Trade (Armourer, Bowyer, Cartographer, Cook, Gunsmith, Herbalist, Merchant, Smith, Tailor, or Weaponsmith), Speak Language (Breton, Kislevian, or Tilean), Sleight of Hand Talents: Dealmaker or Street Fighter, Flee!, Hardy or Suave, Resistance to Disease or Seasoned Traveller Trappings: Lucky Charm or Trade Tools, Pouch, Tent Career Entries Bone Picker, Servant Career Exits Charcoal-Burner, Charlatan, Servant, Smuggler, Spy, Tradesman, Vagabond A Day in the Life Most people think camp followers are lazy, slovenly folk, who do nothing but trail behind armies and scavenge from their debris and the carnage after each battle. They’re only partially wrong. Most camp followers are scavengers who survive by picking over campsites and battlegrounds, and most care little for appearance or cleanliness, but they are far from lazy. Camp followers get up early each morning. Many camp followers earn small coin by fetching and doing other errands for soldiers, particularly minor officers. They move through the camp offering to mend clothes, carry messages, trim hair, and perform other minor tasks. Female camp followers may also offer companionship to lonely soldiers. More attractive women hope to become the personal companion of an officer (or two), who can keep them in better style. Acquiring food is also a daily chore. Camp followers hoard any food they can find, from fresh produce swiped from local farms to scraps from the soldiers’ meals of the night before. They eat quickly, wasting nothing, and then make sure their food supplies are secure before continuing their day. Camp followers spend the day moving around the camp and any associated battlegrounds. They snatch anything of value that has been dropped, check any corpses for usable items and money, perform any needed tasks, and generally keep their eyes open, their backs ready, and their mouths shut. They eat after the soldiers, since mealtimes are the most common time for a soldier to send someone to fetch him more Food or fresh water, and don’t sleep until after the soldiers are all abed and the camp has been scoured one last time. Little Known Facts There is a pecking order among camp followers. Newcomers are not allowed to approach soldiers directly or to enter a battlefield. They have to take orders from more experienced followers, and get paid a share of any coin offered. Once the newcomer has proven himself, he is allowed to move through the camp and speak to lesser soldiers, though a more experienced follower keeps tabs on him. Only camp followers who have proven themselves are allowed to scavenge the battlefields. Included in the pecking order is a sense of solidarity. Though camp followers compete to be assigned tasks, especially easy chores among the officers, they know that working together makes life easier for everyone. If a camp follower is too busy to take on an additional task, he will suggest another follower for it. If a follower sees something to scavenge and lacks the time or strength to get it, he will tell another about it. Camp followers also protect each other. There is a certain amount of leeway allowed for soldiers and even more for officers; camp followers are used to occasional beatings, but excessive mistreatment will cause retaliation from the entire follower community, and they can destroy an army in a thousand little ways.